Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Underwhelmed by Angkor Wat... a little jealous, too!

Come on, guys. This is just 990 years old, and we , coming from India, are supposed to be impressed?? Blame it on the heat and dust ( an abundance of both here ), but when I checked in to the Bodia Spa for an hour long massage, I found myself saying, " Been there, done that." Meaning, I was seriously jealous! But one can't stay jealous for long with a people who are just so genteel, kind and sweet! Angkor Wat??? Errr.... yessss... if you don't have Khajuraho and Konarak ... and ....and... Ajanta and Ellora....I received a text message from Nandana Sen ( same one) urging me to read Amitava Ghosh's account of 'Dancing in Cambodia.' I love Nandana. I love Amitava. But Nandana darling, I promise you I shall get around to reading it -- soon. But hey - this is my discovery of Cambodia. I am ready to dance! But to my own music. Okay??As a matter of fact, I did just that ( DANCE!) at Pub Street tonight, when the bill came. It was 20 USD. And for that princely amount, we had enjoyed a local feast, plus my husband had had a shot of Black Label and a draft beer. Don't ask me how the math works. I paid $2 for the ride back to Raffles in a tuk tuk, and I am not complaining.Jackie Kennedy 'discovered' Angkor Wat .... and Cambodia has never been the same again. MAybe India needs a 21st century Jackie O to make it hot and sexy to tourists. Enough of the 'Incredible India' campaign. It has had its day. After hours and hours spent temple- hopping in sweltering heat, I am all templed out! We leave for Saigon tomorrow afternoon. But not before enjoying yet another massage . YEAH!!! It's a hard, hard life. But someone's got to live it, right?? And here I am ... sharing my sorrows with you. Did I tell you about those croc bags at bargain basement prices???

Oh.... will someone back home please tell me what the hell is going on?? I am being bombarded with requests from Arnab, Karan, Barkha to be on various panels. It sounds awfully boring! Same old 'Insider\Outsider' nonsense.Aur ab tera kya hoga Kaliya... err... Khan??

22 comments:

Nice to hear from you. I have read Amitav Ghosh's essay 'Dancing in Cambodia' I must say it is an extraordinary first-hand account. I hope you must have noticed images of Angkor Wat are so common in Cambodia on beer, banks, airlines, flags etc. It has become a symbol of Cambodian Identity. The same is not the case with our temples.

Just wanted to say that whatever you write we would read.But it would be better if this space is utilised more with thought provoking articles than day to day exploits.Cause thats what we basically read you for.Or atvleast the combined mixture you used to write.tc

My comment is about the Mulakhat u gave for IBN-Lokmat. I really loved that. I liked the way that u use the language, i mean mixing of languages...and u know i was very glad to know that u r marathi, not Because the kind of vara jo maharashtramadhun sadhya vahatoy, pan ata me marathitun bolalo tari u can understand it wery well ani mala lihitana hi adachan yenar nahi...

Come on our charming mumbai lady, give us your take on Shame Rook Khan's brazen advocacy of pakistani interests. One could so clearly see the pro-Paki emonotional outburst on NDTV, a pent up emotion just had to out pour and outpour it certainly did.The Pakistani in this ungrateful parasite did eventually come out. " Pakistan is a great neighbour " oh yeh, it certainly is having just over a year ago took the s... out of the city he lives in! Gratefulness? Mera Bharat Mahan! Even traitors are eleveated to iconic status in this wreatched country of ours.

------------------------------------i am also sick and tired De. why cant the sena's of the world get more creative now. i mean... enough of effigy burning and cinema star bashing... it is no more entertaining.

btw, SRK said he will take pak players in KKR and the drama began... further more he also stated the obvious that mumbai belongs to india. SRK will garner mast publicity for his My Name is khan... by using this as a podium to state " My Name is Indian"...

Dear Shoba, I always wondered with dismay, whether someone like you can take on Salman khan as a Killer driver, who is escaping the law for all these years and begin a boycott of his films, a few blogs ago, u were comparing him to Brad pitt, it is shameful, Brad pitt did not kill people with drunken driving and dodging the law, why dont you write a blog about Salman khan's atrocity, I feel he is actually weaker than a cockroach,as he is not willing to accept his crime and face the punishment

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Dear Ma de.Srk refused to opologise - Mumbai CM has promised to provide security and warned those who in any way stop the screening of the movie - Theatre owners seem to be with Bal Thackrey. but i dont think you can stop shiv sena ,Dekhte hai kya hota hai.

There is a a war of words in these days between Rahul Gandhi and Bal Thackerey on whether Mumbai is for Marathas or to rest of INDIA and between Amar Singh and Mulayam on their political fued,a committee on Telangana problem in AP, threat to Shahreukh by Shiva sena and others.It looks you are not bothered to comment on any of these items in the country.Let us hope you do look into these and start sending your views.

Dear Ms. De, Bought ure book Selective Memoirs at a crossword sale today.I have always enjoyed reading u and there is a freshness and bite in your writing that i really enjoy.Not to mention i completely connect with the persona behind those writings! I have always wondered why ppl, attacked ure writings so much.I find them fun and almost innocent.Seriously!maybe u came before the sexual revolution hit India, and hence angered the uptight puritans! Anyways i just want to say that dont be apologetic about anyhting u have written or done in ure life.Live by ure terms andd all is fair in love and war! Cheers!

chum reap suor, lok srey de! i hope the ho chi minh trail meets your expectations, so many have returned disappointed. and i am reminded of acharya rajneesh's words, " we can exist for thousands of years but do not really exist until a white man discovers us". give our ajanta, ellora, khajurao to world heritage organisation and see how famous and well maintained they become! been to taj mahal (the mausoleum, not the 5* inn) lately? and about our very own intrepid kkkkhan. badshah does not say sorry, ever. manoos may come and manoos may go, but the khans go on for ever.

Shobhaa, though you are enjoying the exotic sights of the far east, tommorrow, when the great city of Bombay gets severed from rest of Maharashtra, and is made a Union Territory, you will regret having been absent during the crucial debates going on the TV shows.

I remember you writing about Jefferey archer ...tht he was comlaining about the bad weather,heat dust everything in Mumbai. You sound the same when describing Combodia. Hahahhaha yeah..developing countires are not meant as tourist attractions.